Altun Ha
view across countryside from site
Altun Ha is the name given ruins of
an ancient Maya city in Belize, located in the Belize District about 30 miles
(50 km) north of Belize City and about 6 miles (10 km) west of the shore of the
Caribbean Sea.
"Altun Ha" is a modern name in the Maya language, coined by translating the name
of the nearby village of Rockstone Pond in Yucatec Maya. The name actually means
stone water in Mayan.
The largest of Altun Ha's temple-pyramids, the "Temple of the Masonry Altars",
is 54 feet (16 m) high. A drawing of this structure is the logo of Belize's
leading brand of beer, "Belikin".
The site covers an area of about 5 miles (8 km) square. The central square mile
of the site has remains of some 500 structures.
Archeological investigations show that Altun Ha was occupied by 200 BC. The bulk
of construction was from the Maya Classic era, c. 200 to 900 AD, when the site
may have had a population of about 10,000 people. About 900 AD there was some
looting of elite tombs of the site, which some think is suggestive of a revolt
against the site's rulers. The site remained populated for about another century
after that, but with no new major ceremonial or elite architecture built during
that time. After this the population dwindled, with a moderate surge of
reoccupation in the 12th century before declining again to a small agricultural
village.
Mayan God faces
The ruins of the ancient structures had their stones reused for residential construction of the agricultural village of Rockstone Pond in modern times, but the ancient site did not come to the attention of archeologists until 1963, when the existence of a sizable ancient site was recognized from the air by pilot and amateur Mayanist Hal Ball.
Starting in 1965 an archeological team led by Dr. David Pendergast of the Royal
Ontario Museum began extensive excavations and restorations of the site, which
continued through 1970. Among the discoveries is a large (almost 10 pounds, or 5
kilograms) piece of jade elaborately carved into an image of the head of the
Maya sun god, Kinich Ahau. This jade head is considered one of the national
treasures of Belize.
Mayan relief
The Old Northern Highway connects Altun Ha to Belize's Northern Highway, and the site is accessible for tourism.
Text from Wikipedia
